Sunday, March 21, 2010

The slumping economical environment can sure be felt in all corners of life, and wineries are not immune. Combined with yet 'another' vintage of the century, many California wineries still sit with stockpiles of great wines from recent vintages such as 2005 & 2006 in their cellars, much of which have no labels affixed -- yet. The purchasers of said wines can then place their own name on the bottles, and the term 'shiner; is born. Good for us. For the savvy buyer there are some good deals to be had. This is one such from Gary's Wine & Marketplace in New Jersey. In the case of the GF Lot 3, I have, and still do maintain that it is Rudd Estate, a wine 3 times the $35 price tag I paid. Since there is a no-disclose agreement between retailer and winery, there is no way to know for sure. These shiner programs are popping up all over the place. Where else would you be able to get top name Napa wines for a fraction of their cost from their source? Don't blink...

Dark and deep, the nose has some pure cassis and cardamom. The palate exhibits the clean precise cassis driven black fruits with blackcherry, plum, and kirsch. A very regal showing indeed. A medium to heavy weighted wine, this has nice balance and structure without ever really going wayward-- I say so because the bottle I shared a few weeks back with the CLONYC clan was a bit messy and awkward, but the company it shared on the table was wines 3-5 times its price-point, so there you go. A long finish and just a wee bit of dryness on the end is the only flaw I detected last night. Now I am really glad I have 5 more in the cellar. Rumors to be Rudd Estate, some say Oakville Ranch, and the back label says Gerard? I believe it could be the Rudd, as I have had both quite often.

Some notable sites

disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed on these pages are strictly those of the author. The contents of these pages have not been reviewed or approved by any wine professional either alive or dead. All of these thoughts and ponderings should be taken with a grain of salt.Because...hey, it's only wine!